


Whatever Way Our Stories End

by AceHufflepuff



Category: Glee
Genre: Final Fantasy X crossover, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-30
Updated: 2013-01-30
Packaged: 2017-11-27 13:02:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/662295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceHufflepuff/pseuds/AceHufflepuff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Warnings: Mentions of past character death and possible character death (not Kurt or Blaine), discussion of voluntary sacrifice, violence, homophobia, negative portrayal of a fictional organised religion. If needed, more will be added on a chapter-by-chapter basis and in the mean time I'm happy to answer questions.</p>
<p>Summary: As a land enduring the constant death and destruction brought about by the monstrous creature known as Sin, Spira's hope lies with its summoners. With the powers to call the aeons, creatures of great power used to protect the people of Spira, summoners are the only ones able to defeat Sin.</p>
<p>Despite the views of Yevon, Spira's one religion, on homosexuality, Kurt takes the trial to become a summoner. Upon his success, he and his guardians must travel around Spira on a pilgrimage to learn to summon the aeons of Spria's temples before taking on Sin. Along the way, he builds a wide-reaching group of friends and pushes the boundaries of what it means to be a summoner. Final Fantasy X crossover/fusion fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Whatever Way Our Stories End

Not a word was spoken as the group travelled the familiar path through the jungle separating Kilika and its temple. From time to time, four of the group's five members glanced at each other, exchanging slightly strained smiles; Kurt, in the lead, simply stared at the worn stone path ahead.

Puck, Finn, Mercedes and Carole each held their respective weapons (knuckle dusters for Puck, throwing knives for Finn, and staffs designed to channel magic for Mercedes and Carole) in a relaxed manner, though ready to attack or defend at the first sight of fiends. Kurt had opted to keep his glaive at rest on his back, not anticipating any trouble on the often-used and well-defended path. Instead, he focused all his thoughts on what lay ahead.

A shouted greeting to Puck and Finn from a pair of Crusaders patrolling the jungle drew Kurt's gaze from the road in front of him. Upon reaching the group, the Crusaders paused, positioning their arms out to each side before bringing them together, cupped palms facing each other, and bowing in the familiar action of the Prayer to Yevon. Kurt simply nodded in response; his status as an apprentice summoner afforded him a certain amount of respect, but the majority of Kilika's residents viewed him with indifference at best. With a polite word to Mercedes and Carole and a wave to Puck and Finn, the Crusaders continued on their rounds through the jungle paths.

The group grew quiet again, only the faint sounds of nature- birds' calls, screeches of far-off fiends as the Crusaders fought to eradicate them, the rustling of leaves- and their own footsteps could be heard. As they approached the temple their surroundings grew even quieter, their slightly heavier breathing joining the background sounds as they climbed the infamously steep and lengthy steps before finally reaching the temple's external grounds.

A great deal of effort had gone into the design and construction of the temple. The pavement of the courtyard featured tiles intricately decorated with swirls and various Yevonite symbols. The aerial view of the jungle from the courtyard was breathtaking, but the group didn't pause in their journey; they had stood by the railing for hours on end many times over the years, and it was not the time for admiring the view.

The temple entrance was by far the most spectacular building in Kilika with a wide, open layout. The second, smaller courtyard featured a circular pit of ever-lit fire built into the ground, the clear crystal covering serving as the floor. It was the only building designed for its appearance rather than practicality, being the core of their community and- thanks to the protection the area afforded it- the only building that hadn't been destroyed in the hundreds of years since it had been built and the village sprung to life around it. The building featured rich orange details, vibrant against the stone greys and the occasional splash of aqua. The architecture was comprised mostly of circles and other soft, flowing shapes. It was perhaps not what would be expected of the home of the fire aeon- the temple was covered in torches lit with flames to emphasise that fact- but in Kurt's view it was simply beautiful.

The group came to a stop inside the temple's doors as the High Priest instantly approached them. He and Kurt both performed the prayer before the aged man greeting Kurt with a warm but tired smile.

"You may begin the trial when you are ready," He gestured towards the set of stairs leading to an ornate door that no one had entered since the last summoner passed through on her pilgrimage. Like with many other summoners, they never did hear what happened to her after she left their village. "Good luck."

Kurt offered a smile in return before turning to his friends and almost-mother.

"I'm sure you have nothing to worry about, Kurt," Carole murmured as she pulled him into a warm hug. "You've worked hard for this."

Kurt gave a chuckle, returning the hug. "Of course, Carole, I'll be fine. As if I'd let something go wrong and waste all that training." Despite his haughty tone, he smiled warmly. Carole laughed, pulling back and giving him one more glance over.

"Give us an awesome show with that aeon when you get out, alright?" Puck stepped forwards, patting Kurt's shoulder.

"Careful, it almost sounds like you care, Puck," Kurt teased, batting Puck’s hand away before turning to Finn and Mercedes. "Well, shall we?"

His guardians nodded, and Kurt took one deep breath before leading the way up the staircase.

\---

"Dude, I don't get what we're supposed to be doing with these spheres," Finn crouched to examine a softly-glowing green sphere, eyebrows furrowing as he stared at it, a puzzled expression seeming to be permanently etched onto his face. Kurt shot his pseudo-brother a raised eyebrow and an eye roll, but it was Mercedes who spoke.

"Of course you don't, Finn. It's not as if the Cloister if Trials is one of the first things summoners and guardians learn about." Despite her harsh words, she couldn't help but smile, the gently burning fire from within the sphere she held illuminating her features in a wash of orange as she was tossed it from one hand to the other.

Kurt looked up from where he'd been examining the dimly-lit room. "Could you pass me that sphere, Mercedes? And I'll need your help moving this pedestal, Finn." The two guardians approached Kurt, Mercedes offering her sphere, which Kurt placed in the recess carved into one of the edges of the pedestal. A thin jet of flame appeared from the bowled top, crackling merrily. Kurt waved Finn over, directing him to push the pedestal into the next room.

"Over here, Finn," Kurt gestured towards a complex design of intertwined lines of the ground near the sunken area in the middle of the room. A pinprick of soft white light glimmered from the centre of the design; it was circular in shape but for four triangles spaced evenly around the design and pointing outwards. "This is about the same size as the base of the pedestal, maybe it'll trigger something."

Finn grunted as he pushed the pedestal into motion again. As it slid over the design on the floor, a soft click was heard. The moment Finn stepped back, a small area around the pedestal shuddered as it sunk downwards, revealing a recess in the wall holding another glowing red sphere.

"Whoa, how'd you work that out?" Finn gaped at Kurt, who simply grinned, skipping towards the stairs leading to the lower level of the room. He prised the sphere out of the hole, breaking the connection of the amber vein running from the hole to the fire surrounding the exit, leaving an ornate door with no handles. The group slowly climbed the stairs back out of the sunken area and towards the doorway.

"I still don't get why they can't just use normal doors in here," Mercedes muttered, plucking the sphere from Kurt's hands and shoving it into the recess next to the door. At once, the door burst into flames before crumbling completely as Mercedes removed the sphere again, causing the flames to vanish and leaving an empty doorway.

"You have to admit, it's a tastefully flashy and _much_ more interesting way of doing things," Kurt quipped as they reached the Chamber of the Fayth. If Finn and Mercedes noticed that his smile was slightly strained and his voice a higher pitch than normal, they didn't mention it.

"Well, this is it, then," Kurt took a step towards the shield-shaped barrier behind which the fayth waited. He took a step towards the chamber before hesitating, looking back at the friends he considered family. Finn and Mercedes could not follow him into the Chamber of the Fayth; Yevon decreed that only summoners- apprentices or fully-fledged- could enter. He would be alone during the final and most important part of his trial and the first step of his pilgrimage. The first of six aeons, the last of which would cost him his life to summon but would give Spira a period of peace.

Before he could do anything more than glance back at his friends, Mercedes moved forwards, wrapping him in a tight hug. Finn followed a second later, a hand firmly grasping Kurt's shoulder.

"We've still got the whole of your pilgrimage ahead, don't worry about us." Mercedes' voice quivered slightly, but her tone and gaze were firm, steadying Kurt. "This is what you want; you can count on us to support you all the way to Zanarkand." Finn simply nodded his agreement, his throat closing up on anything he might have said, only managing a small but genuine smile.

Kurt drew in a deep, shuddering breath, unable to stop the moisture gathering in his eyes. He wrapped his arms tightly around Mercedes before releasing her in order to do the same to Finn, wordlessly thanking them both. With a thin smile he turned back towards the Chamber of the Fayth, squaring his shoulders as the shield-like door slowly raised, revealing the entrance to the chamber. With one last look back to his guardians and an exchange of nods, he walked through the doorway.

Kurt stopped upon entering the chamber, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dully-lit surroundings. The room was small, not much bigger than the glass dome built into the floor, inside which lay the statue of Kilika's fayth. He carefully lowered himself to his knees, taking a moment to mentally prepare himself before performing the well-familiar actions of the Prayer to Yevon, his head remaining bowed over his cupped hands.

He slowly released his breath, breathing slowly and deeply, his eyes slipping closed as he focused his thoughts on what led him to this point.

_Why do you choose the path of the summoner?_ The words flowed through the room, more felt than heard, silent but still understood, rumbling through his very soul yet feeling more insubstantial than smoke, so strongly there yet drifting away as if they had never existed. _What is the source of your strength? Would you truly give your life for the peace of Spira with no regrets?_

\---

_Kurt had been eight years old when his mother was killed by Sin on the way back from a visit to Besaid. No survivors of the attack were found; they would have had no chance of living once Sin had emerged from the water, Sinspawn already landing on the ship's deck and no Crusaders or anyone with any real fighting ability present. All that was found of the ship was scattered pieces of driftwood._

_In comparison to others living in Kilika, Kurt was lucky to last until fifteen years of age before becoming an orphan. It was almost unheard of for someone to have not suffered the loss of at least one family member; while not every child was orphaned before hitting adulthood, Mercedes' and Puck's parents had both died before their tenth birthdays and Finn had never known his father._

_Upon his father's passing ("Yevon has blessed him with a natural death"), Kurt had initially been taken in by one of the priests, living in the temple for a week until Carole, who had been close to his father, took him in. It was during that week that Kurt decided to act upon his childhood dream, a decision made spontaneously as a child but now worth serious thought, to become a summoner._

_The years of training had only cemented his drive to succeed in becoming a summoner. He wanted to_ do _something with his life, something more than simply settling in Kilika and living simply until dying, most likely from an attack by Sin or illness. No, he would squeeze as much worth out of his life as possible and die in a manner of his choosing. Plus, summoners were the more revered of all residents of Spira, so what better way to leave his mark and show up those who hated him simply because he was attracted to men rather than women?_

\---

Finn scuffed one foot idly against the ground as he paced the antechamber, eyes constantly darting to and from the entrance to the Chamber of the Fayth. He sighed loudly as he took a sharp turn at the wall, walking the same path across the room, over and over.

"Sit down, Finn. You're making me anxious just watching you." Mercedes groaned, turning her towards Finn before tilting it back against the wall she was leaning on.

Finn nodded shortly, sprawling himself into a seated position against the wall next to Mercedes. "He's been in there for ages, shouldn't something have happened by now?"

Mercedes simply raised an eyebrow at him. "It hasn't been that long since he went in. It always takes at least a few hours, you know that." He couldn't be sure, but for a moment, Finn had thought that behind the sharp tension of her expression he'd heard some softness in her tone of voice, some understanding.

"I know," he mumbled, looking up at her. Silence fell over the room once again.

\---

It felt like at least an hour later, just as Finn was starting to drift off into sleep, that Mercedes suddenly spoke again.

"I'm sorry for snapping earlier," she avoided looking his way, keeping her unfocused gaze on the door Kurt had disappeared through earlier that day. "Don't get me wrong, I'd support that boy through absolutely anything without complaining but this is going to be hard on all of us. I love him like a brother, and-" she cut herself off, searching desperately for the right words.

"Yeah, I think I get what you mean," Finn spoke softly, almost in a whisper, as he pulled himself to his feet again. "There's no way we could tell him what to do, and we wouldn't want to anyway, and it's selfish but I just want him to be around for as long as possible. He deserves that."

"Is it strange that I'm proud of him?" Mercedes gave a weak chuckle. "I know he's older than me, if only by a few months, but I am. I don't think I'll meet anyone stronger than him."

\---

Kurt had a vague impression that he'd been kneeling in front of the fayth for quite some time, but he couldn't be sure. As usual when he immersed himself in his meditation, time seemed to turn fluid, flowing at different speeds, from a calm standstill to swirling rapids. He came back to himself with an unusual suddenness but without the usual jolt of awareness. His eyes blinked open to find the translucent figure of a man hovering above fayth's statue before they squeezed shut again as a sharp jolt of bright energy shot through him. As he struggled to remain conscious, he felt-heard the fayth speak, as it had earlier. _You will do well. You have my blessing._

With a wince, he shakily pushed himself to his feet. He brought a hand to his chest, smiling. He didn't actually feel any different, but he knew something had changed, that he himself had changed with it. He set his head high as he stumbled out of the chamber, leaning heavily on the wall as the door grinded upwards revealing Finn and Mercedes, twin expressions of tension mingled with hope and several other less easily read emotions.

"Well?" Finn breathed, stepping forwards as Kurt's legs threatened to give out under him. With all his remaining strength, he straightened his posture, squaring his shoulders and lifting his head up to meet Finn's gaze before dropping his focus back to Mercedes with a tired smile.

"Spira had better prepare itself for its newest, most fabulous summoner."

**Author's Note:**

> After planning this fic for a long time, I've finally decided to start posting! It's likely to be rather lengthy, following right through to the end of Kurt's pilgrimage. If anyone is WIP-phobic, I'll be posting each chapter as I write it and while I'll try not to take too long between updates it's unlikely to be on a regular schedule. For those who are familiar with _Final Fantasy X_ , the events/people of this fic will be loosely inspired by the game and set in the same world but is not a direct cast swap.
> 
> And just as a side note, I'd love to be able to work with a beta for this fic (mostly for plot and characterisation) if anyone happens to be interested.


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